2017 Mobile App Development Trends

In the past year companies, have realized that the mobile trend is here to stay. More companies are working on their mobile-first platforms. It’s no longer a risky investment to put money into the mobile side of your business, but a requirement to stay competitive within your market. Here are some trends we expect to see in the coming year. Apps aren’t being built specifically for smart phones only, now tablets, Smart TV’s, and other devices are being targeted too.

Location Tech

We expect to see the improvement of location-based technology this year. It’s grown in popularity for the last two years. Two areas that could see major growth with location technology is the healthcare realm and retail businesses. Location-based tools for mobile are seeing a rise in popularity because of the simple task of connecting an online experience with an in-store one.

In an age when personalization is key with a mobile app, getting location-based notifications is priceless. Being able to send a push notification for your store to all users within a 10-mile radius is much more personal than sending a blanket notification to all users.

Virtual Reality

We expect to see the rise of augmented reality or virtual reality apps this year. While most people think of Pokemon Go as the first successful app with AR technology, there are others popping up now. Yelp is even using an augmented street view feature to help users find food easier, with a virtual sort of map.

In the span of a year virtual reality headsets have exploded in popularity, with several tech manufacturers and companies releasing their own versions. It’s hardware that was hard to get your hands on two years ago, and now it’s hit the mainstream market. This year we can look forward to an expansion of features, like hand controls being released.

Wireless Earphones

With the release of AirPods, Apple’s solution to a headphone jack-free phone, the number of wireless headphones have grown in the market. Other phone companies, like Samsung, have expressed interest at ridding their systems of headphone jacks as well, and transitioning toward something wireless.